Cursed
by IFYOUCOULDFLY
Summary: Ensis Regima had a normal life. That is, until she was cursed by 3 different deities with unmatched beauty, infinite youth until finding her soulmate, and terrible nightmares. Now an outcast, she travels the world, trying to hide her curse. Then she stumbles into Skyrim and finds that on top of that, she's the Dragonborn. Can she defeat both Alduin AND her curses? One word: Vilkas.
1. Cursed, Cursed, and Cursed Again

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So, this my first fanfic for the Elder Scrolls, and for that matter, my first story for anything other than a book! I just couldn't resist writing a Dragonborn/Vilkas, because I just ****_love _****that weird little Nord! Well, enough babbling from me, read on! Oh yeah, and in no way do I, or ever will, own the Elder Scrolls!**

**-11 Sun Dusk-**

_My name is Ensis Regima. Not a typical name, I know, but I am not a typical girl. On the outside, you'd see an Imperial woman of 25, with long, curly black hair and crystal-blue eyes. But there's a twist to me. In reality, I'm 107 years old, cursed by 3 different deities, and slightly insane._

_That's right. 82 years ago, I was cursed by 3 different deities at separate times: Mara, Dibella, and Vaermina. Yes, the goddesses of beauty and love and the daedric prince of dreams cursed me. How fortunate. And strangely enough, this all happened at different times. Even stranger, each occurance was connected to rabbits, of all things._

_This all began when my mother was just three hours from giving birth to me. She was sitting in the house we used to live in, a hut just outside the walls of the Imperial City. My father was out on a quick hunting trip at the time. My four older siblings (3 sisters, 1 brother) were working at a nearby farm._

_My family had never been attractive. On the contrary, they were somewhat...ugly, I suppose. Each member had big, bulbous noses, thick eyebrows, box-like jawlines, and small, blackish eyes. Everyone had the same shade of hair: carrot-orange, a coloring foreign to Cyrodiil._

**(A/N: Just to clear things up, I am not saying orange hair is ugly. It just seemed fitting for the image I had of them. I love orange/red hair!)**

_Normally, nobody cared. I certainly didn't. My family's kindly nature and skills with weaponry far outwheighed their, well,_

_grotesque appearances. Today, however was a different day. My mother was moody, tired, and angry. _

_Just minutes before, she was walking home from the market with a basket of bread when a small rabbit hopped in front of her. She smiled and leaned to pet it when a small child from a nearby house shrieked. "Don't touch him! Don't touch him!" The girl wailed, causing her parents to rush out onto the lawn._

_After they had calmed the child, the father began to apologize nervously. "I-We're terribly sorry, ma'am. It's just...well, I told our daughter the story of the Hagraven woman that-well, that would eat was already scared, and-"_

_"Oh, it's fine." My mother said sweetly, masking her hurt. "Easy mistake. I'd better get going." With that, she rushed off as fast as she could down the road and into our house. Once she was there, she burst into tears of grief._

_"Why can't I be beautiful?" She sobbed. "What have I done to deserve_

_this?" As she spoke the words, her sorrow turned quickly to anger. "Curse Dibella! What a wicked, cruel goddess!" She growled, staring at the mirror._

_Dibella heard these words and grew furious. She appeared to my mother in her full beauty. "You_

_dare curse my name, mortal?" The goddess hissed, typicall sweetness gone. _

_My mother was horrifed. "Oh, no, my Lady! I'm sorry! Forgive me, please!" She cried, but the goddess wouldn't listen. "In return, I shall lay a curse of my own. Not upon you, but on your daughter. When she is born, she will be the most beautiful mortal in centuries. Men of all sorts will fall deeply in love with her. This may appear to be a blessing, but you will soon learn that it is a curse."_

_With that, Dibella dissapeared, leaving my mother to sob._

_Three hours later, I was born, looking nothing like my parents. My nose was small, my eyebrows thin, my jaw sharp, and my eyes a shimmering clear blue, "like crystals", as my mother would say. My hair was as dark as the night sky, contrasting strangely with the bright orange of the rest of my family._

_As I grew up, my family began to realize just how right Dibella was. It really_

_was a curse. _

_I couldn't go anywhere in Cyrodiil without getting stares from men of all ages, some of them married, and sometimes even the women would join in. So many times, I tried to cut my hair off, or smudge my face with dirt, or do_

_something, but each time my hair would grow back, and my face would clean itself. For a goddess, she sure could hold a grudge. _

_Still, my life was okay. By the age of twenty-five, I had everything I needed. A family, a lover, and plenty of time to hunt. Yes, hunting. The one activity that could set me free._

_People tend to take you seriously with a weapon in your hands. In the forest, other passersby would stare, but they'd respect me. As an actual_

_person, not just a pretty face. _

_I was a natural at hunting, my father told me. "It runs in the family," he'd say. "It's the one thing you inherited from us." I'd laugh at that._

_That's the way my life went. Just sort of floating through. That is, until my 25th birthday._

_I was walking out of a tavern, flustered._

_"All I wanted was a drink!" I thought. "Those idiot men, carrying on and...treating me like...like..." "Like one of their little trinkets." I said aloud. "That's all I am to them, property." _

_I was snapped back into reality by something leaping from a yard onto the path in front of me. A rabbit. "Hi, little thing. What are you doing out of your home?" I cooed, picking it up gently. It looked at me with wide, innocent eyes, and I laughed. "Time to get_

_you back home."_

_I strolled over to the house and knocked. A handsome man of about 30 opened the door and stared at me, wide eyed. I was used to this look, and I was courting at the time, so I quickly handed over the rabbit. "Here, this little guy got out." I said urgently, turning out._

_"Hey, where're you goin' so quickly, pretty thing?" He drawled, obviously drunk. I frowned and sighed. "Look, sir, I'm sorry, but I'd better go." I said, taking a step forward, but his hand grabbed my arm._

_"Now, don't play that. C'mere." He said gruffly, and I yanked my arm away. I guess I was much stronger than he expected, because he stumbled forward, teetering. "Well now, a feisty one. I can live with that..." He leaned in, and I slapped him across the face, just as I heard a voice calling from the doorway, "Agarmir!"_

_We turned to see a very angry-looking woman. "What are you_

_doing?" She cried angrily, marching up to him. "I-er-." The man, Agarmir, stuttered. "You cheating bastard! We are through!" The woman screamed, tears falling down her reddened face as she ripped off a ring and threw it on the ground at his feet. With that, she ran away._

_Agarmir turned to me, a shocked expression on his face, and I couldn't take it. I ran, far away from that man, out of the city, into the wilderness._

_Finally I stopped, wiping tears from my eyes, and heard a voice. "Ten. Marriages." I whirled around and gasped. Before me was Lady Mara, frowning sternly. I bowed quickly, but she paid no mind. "You have ruined ten marriages as of now, and I will not stand for it."_

_"Oh, Lady Mara, I'm sorry! I...I don't mean to, it was a curse!" I cried in fear. Mara looked straight into my eyes and boomed, "Well, prepare for another, mortal. From now until the day you find somebody who will love you not for your looks, but for who you are inside, you will never age."_

_I let out a sob as the goddess dissapeared, knowing that finding somebody to love_

_me, not my looks, would be impossible. "I'll be 25 till the end of time," I whispered._

_From that point on, things slid downhill. Years passed, and while my loved ones aged, I remained the same. My lover left me, saying he was off to Elsweyr or Morrowind or Skyrim, just anywhere but Cyrodiil._

_My siblings treated me differently from that point on. They tried to hide their emotions, but I could see right through them. I was a_

_freak. And it wouldn't be long before people starting noticing._

_Then, one horrible day, 8 years after Mara cursed me, my father passed away. At the sight of his dead body, I broke down into tears. "It's not fair!" I cried. "You're all...you're all going to die, and I'm going to live on! It's not_

_fair!" I ran out of the hut crying, grabbing my hunting gear as I did so. Right then, I just needed to get away from everything._

_I spent hours out in the wilderness, bringing down 2 deer and, more importantly, 5 rabbits. I_

_hate rabbits. _

_Just as dusk was beginning to fall on the forest, I caught a glimpse of a rather plump rabbit winding through the trees. I raised my bow and followed swiftly. I chased it a long ways before I got a good vantage point. One of the only advantages of Dibella's curse was no matter how much I ate (which was quite a lot), my eternally slender figure never widened, and I was quite fast._

_Just as I was about to let the killing arrow fly, the rabbit dissapeared. There, where it had been just moments before, stood the daedric prince Vaermina. I immeadiately dropped my bow and bowed fearfully._

_"Calm, mortal." Vaermina declared, and I stood shakily. "You are beautiful. The most beautiful mortal I've ever seen. You are not fit to live as a mortal, in fact. Come with me, and rule by my side as my wife."_

_My heart stopped, because I knew deep down this could never happen. But how do you refuse a_

_daedric prince?!_

_"My-my L-lord," I began, trembling, "I cannot. I can only marry a mortal that will...that will love me for me, not my appearance." For a moment, Vaermina was silent. Then, the prince spoke again, this time in a booming growl that sent chills of fear down my spine._

_"You_

_dare refuse Vaermina?! Very well, beautiful mortal. But three's the charm, yes? How about three curses? For as long as Mara's curse lasts, you will be plagued with terrible nightmares. You will fear sleep, mortal, for as long as you are 25."_

_With that Vaermina dissapeared, and I was left to cry. Finally, once I ran out of tears, I sat down and sighed. "Damn, I hate rabbits."_

**A/N: That was just a quick journal entry explaining how the curses were put in place. I know I suck at writing the goddess/daedric prince parts, but I just needed to get this idea down. So, you likey? Pleeease review and tell me! Anyways, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	2. Welcome to Skyrim, We're Gonna Kill You!

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So thank you thank you thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and even _favorited _(I know it's not a word. It is now) the last chapter! I'm really, really grateful for that, it helps me a lot. Progress may be slow on all the stories I'm writing right now, because my computer is broken. Right now I'm borrowing one, so like I said, progress may be slow. Just stick with me guys, and read on! Oh, and prepare for the longest chapter in the history of chapters. OK maybe not, but it felt like it when I was writing :P**

"Skyrim," Ensis whipered. "This is where I need to be."

Since the incident with the 3 curses, the young (or old, depending on your point of view) Imperial had left her home in Cyrodiil to travel throughout Tamriel. Over the past 82 years, she'd learned languages, skills, and traditions she'd never even imagined of. Her curses still plagued her each and every day, but her adventures almost made up for it. Almost.

After all, not every Imperial gets to swordfight with Redguards in Hammerfell, sneak with Khajiit in Elsweyr, make potions with the Dunmer in Morrowind, cast spells with Altmer in the Summerset Isles, or fire arrows with the Bosmer in Valenwood. Especially not a 25-year-old Imperial.

Ensis only stayed in province for about fifteen years at a time, and even then she'd have to move around constantly to avoid civilians taking notice of the fact that no matter how many years ticked past, she never changed.

Finally, she realized the perfect place for her: Skyrim. There, people typically ignored appearance and instead focused on traits more important to Nords, like honor, bravery, and skill with a sword. Maybe _here_, she'd find somebody that could look past her stupid face, which she'd grown to detest over the years, and see _her_.

Now Ensis was standing on Cyrodiil ground for the first time in years, staring across the border and shivering madly. After stealing a quick glance at the snoring guards, she ran forward to cross into her new home.

And heard the guards stir.

Her heart leaped into her throat, and she began to run just as a cluster of armor-clad men surged over the hill behind her. _"What the-" _Ensis thought, watching as the men grew closer to her.

An angry roar sounded from straight ahead of her as more men in armor, which she recognized as Imperial, appeared to counter the other force. "And just when I thought my life could be _easy _for once." Ensis moaned to herself.

The Imperial tossed her head around as she looked for a way out, sending her long, black braid flying around. Too late. She was soon enveloped by a clashing mixture of guards and strange soldiers.

Out of the corner eye, she caught a glimpse of a blonde-haired man in a fur coat who seemed to be preoccupied with hacking guards to peices. She shivered as his eyes found hers from across the clearing, though wether it was from the cold or the look in the man's eye, she wasn't sure.

Suddenly, she felt something slam into the back of her head, a loud _crack _ringing in her ears. The world in front of her blurred, images running together like a watered-down painting. Just before blackness swallowed everything, Ensis caught one last glimpse of the fur-coated man.

If there was one thing she could infer about this mysterious man, she decided, it was that he was dangerous. Very dangerous. And it looked like he was winning the battle. _"Well, I just have the most _wonderful _luck, don't I?" _Ensis thought bitterly.

And then, nothing.

The first thing Ensis Regima noticed was the pounding in her head.

It washed over everything, sort of background noise to the darkness in front of her. It hurt, too, but she was somewhat delirious. _"Was I sleeping? Why does my head hurt?" _She thought.

The second thing Ensis Regima noticed was the lack of nightmares.

Every sleep she'd ever had was plagued with terrifying images of her worst fears. Fears that reached deep down, where she truly believed she was a freak. Just a freak.

Because of this, the girl only slept once every week. It had no physical affect on her body, Dibella's curse provided that, but it left her mind groggy and slow, and when the case was particularly bad, made her delusional. She'd sometimes even hallucinate, leaving her in a state best described as insanity. Living as a 25-year-old for 82 years does that to you.

But there was blackness all around, and she didn't remember any nightmares, so there was only one explanation: she'd been knocked out. It had happened before, and she knew the feeling. But who had done this? The obvious solution was to open her eyes.

Light spilled into view as she cracked her eyelids open and sat up. The image was blurred, but after blinking and rubbing her eyes, a clear picture fell into place.

The third thing that Ensis Regima noticed was that this was _not _Cyrodiil.

"Skyrim."

She thought, taking in the full scene before her.

Pine trees lined a cobblestone road, branches sprinkled with snow. Mountains loomed in the distance, and the First Seed sun did nothing to warm the freezing air. It was beautiful in a way, Ensis oberved, but also had an air of suspense to it. Like it was telling her that beyond those pines, something dangerous was lurking.

Ensis moved to warm herself, then realized her hands were bound. As were the hands of the other three occupants of the carriage.

One was dark-haired and dirty-faced, with tattered clothing and a frightened expression. Another, sitting across from her, hand blond hair, pale skin, and an armor she recognized.

It all came rushing back to her. The border, the fight...and the strange man with the fur coat. The man sitting _right next to her_. "Oh, joy." She whispered to herself, scooting a little further away from the man with the coat.

Ralof heard a noise and looked up to see the most beautiful face he'd ever seen. A face he'd been watching for...hours, maybe? The Stormcloak wasn't sure. He had quickly decided that this woman was not to be trusted. He didn't like the look in her eye. Like she knew to much for her age...

"Hey, you." Ensis looked up at Ralof, the man with the armor, thankful that someone had spoken. "You're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right?" Ensis nodded, and Ralof continued.

"Walked right into that Imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there." He said, a note of sympathy in his voice. Another voice ripped her attention from Ralof; the thief's. Lokir's.

"Damn you Stormcloaks." He spat bitterly. "Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy. If it hadn't been for you, I'd have stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell."

Lokir glanced over at Ensis, noticing her for the first time. He blinked a couple times, a little shocked, then recovered. "You there. You and me - we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants."

"Stormcloaks? Empire? What?"

Ensis thought, mind racing. A lot was happening right now, and she was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that her _hands _were tied, and that she was a _prisoner_. Yeah, being arrested wasn't exactly the best thing to wake up to.

"We're all brothers and sisters in binds now, thief." Ralof interrupted, scowling at the theif. So far, he didn't much care for this Lokir person.

"Shut up back there!" The soldier driving their cart barked, and Ralof's frown deepened. Oh, how he hated the Empire...

"And what's wrong with _him_, huh?" Lokir asked, gesturing to the strange man, and Ensis saw Ralof's scowl worsen, if that was possible. Ensis was just glad somebody asked the question she was trying to gain the courage to ask.

"Watch your tongue." Ralof snapped, irked at the insulting tone in Lokir's statement. "You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King." Ensis just rolled her eyes. _"Just when I thought things couldn't get any more confusing."_

Lokir reeled back in shock. "Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion!" A stony stare from Ulfric met the statement. "But if they've captured you..." he trailed off, wide-eyed. "Oh gods. Where are they taking us?!"

"I don't know where we're going," Ralof responded, "but Sovngarde awaits." Ensis and Lokir both felt their heart drop into their stomachs. _"So much for that. No way I'm getting to Sovngarde, not if Dibella, Mara and Vaermina can help it." _Ensis thought worriedly.

"No! This can't be happening! This isn't happening!" The thief cried, despair clear in his voice. A moment of silence fell over the carraiges for a moment, until Ralof interrupted it.

"Hey, what village are you from, horse thief?" He asked grimly, and Lokir spun to face him, fear in his eyes. "Why do you care?" Lokir asked, flustered. "A Nord's last thoughts should be of home." Came the Stormcloak's somber reply.

That statement was enough for Lokir. It was a statement of finalization. He was going to die today. Die because some Stormcloaks happened to be in the same place as him. "Rorikstead. I'm from Rorikstead." Lokir gasped, and Ralof nodded and turned away.

The cart entered a small village, sights and smells unfamiliar to Ensis bursting into view. On the ground, an armor-clad woman, most likely an officer, called out, "General Tullius, the headsman is waiting!"

"Good, let's get this over with." Another official-looking man, presumably General Tullius grunted. "Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akatosh, Divines, please help me!" Lokir cried, and Ensis scowled.

She had met all of the deities the thief had just listed off, and each of them shared the same kind of rocky relationship with her. They never struck her down, no matter how many curses she threw their way. Never just _ended _her. They knew that the worst punishment they could give her was to leave her be. Just let her curses linger, slowly wearing her away.

The only deity she could stand was Talos, who actually took just a little pity on her. Just a _little_. Basically, he was the only god that didn't blatantly hate her. The gods were really, really messed up. And knowing them, not a single one would help. Except maybe Talos...but that was unlikely.

"Look at him." Ralof's sneering voice broke Ensis away from her thoughts. "General Tullius, the military governor. And it looks like the Thalmor are with him! Damn elves." He growled, hatred dripping from his voice.

Ensis frowned slightly. She'd lived with the High Elves for fifteen years, and quite admired all species of elves. And she _definitely _didn't like the amount of sheer detest coating Ralof's statement.

"This is Helgen." Ralof announced to Ensis, once again interrupting the Imperial's thoughts. "I used to be sweet on a girl from if Vilad is still making that mead with juniper berries." He sighed, lost in his thoughts.

Ensis rolled her eyes. _"Typical," _She thought, _"even right before their executions, Nords still obsess over mead." _

"Funny. When I was a boy, Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." Ralof muttered sadly. For once, Ensis agreed. Though she prefered the solitude of the woods, she loved walks in the Imperial City. It gave her a sense of belonging, a sense of companionship.

"Who are they, Daddy?" A small voice, that of a young child's called out, and Ensis spun her head around to face him.

"Go inside, little cub." A man, his father, commanded, but the boy's eyes were locked on hers. "Why?" The little boy finally asked, still staring. "I wanted to watch the soldiers."

"Inside the house! Now!" The father barked, and the boy ripped his gaze away from hers. Ensis let out a sigh of releif. _"They hold executions in the middle of the city? How morbid..." _She thought, shivering as the word "execution" echoed around in her brain.

The carraige jerked to a halt at that moment, nearly sending her flying into Ulfric Stormcloak. Embarrassed, she scooted away. Ulfric eyed her strangely, then looked away.

"Why are we stopping?" Lokir asked, voice laden with fear and anticipation. He had a feeling he knew _exactly _why they were stopping. Ralof only confirmed his suspicions with a curt, "Why do you think? End of the line." Lokir let out a quick, desperate breath, eyes as large as dinner platters.

"Let's go." Ralof continued. "Shouldn't keep the gods waiting." Ulfric stood and turned to file out of the carriage, loyal Stormcloak soldier in tow. "No, wait! We're not rebels!" Lokir cried as he reluctantly stepped down off the carriage.

"Face your death with some courage, thief." Ralof snapped, glaring at his fellow prisoner. Lokir glared right back. "You've got to tell them we weren't with you! This is a mistake!" Ensis decided to butt in.

"Please. I'm the only innocent person here." Ensis pleaded, hoping he wouldn't figure out she was crossing the border illegally. Although legally, she had died 82 years ago...

Ralof grinned at her. "So, you _do _have a voice, then? Been suspecting you were mute." Seeing the Imperial's impatient **(haha Imperial impatient...OK sorry)** look, he dropped the smile and shook his head sadly. "Can't help you. Think the Empire'll take _my _word for it? Think again." He said, sounding truly pitiful. "At least you'll be with the Divines soon." Ensis nearly snapped at him in frustration, _"That's the _last _place I'd want to be!"_, but resisted.

"Step toward the block as we call your name!" A voice shouted, and Ensis looked up to see yet _another _important-looking Imperial soldier. "Step towards the block as we call your name, one at a time." she instructed.

"Empire loves their damned lists." Ralof muttered, receiving a strange look from Ensis.

"Ulfric Stormcloak, Jarl of Windhelm." An Imperial soldier, list in one hand, quill in another, called, scratching away at the paper as he spoke the name. Ulfric's mouth was hidden by a gag, but the defiant scowl underneath was clear in his eyes.

As Ulfric walked towards the block, head held high, Ralof called out, "It's been an honor, Jarl Ulfric." And, though the soldier could never be sure, he thought he caught Ulfric wink at him.

"Ralof of Riverwood!" The captain shouted, interrupting the Stormcloak's thoughts. He strode confidently to the block. Ensis nearly laughed. Here everyone was, acting all brave and crap. Frankly, she felt like she was about to piss herself.

"Lokir of Rorikstead!" Came the captain's now thoroughly annoying voice. Lokir _lost _it. He couldn't die! Not now! The thief was prepared to do anything to live again. He'd run, that's what. He'd run away and they'd forget all about him, and he'd change his life. Stop thieving, get a real job, maybe settle down with a woman. So run he did.

"No! I'm not a rebel! You can't do this!" Lokir screamed, trying to sound defiant, but his voice just oozed desperation and fear. The spectators frowned scornfully, wishing he'd just accept his fate. The next thing they knew, the man was _running_.

"Oh, daedra."

Ensis thought. She'd grown accustomed to using "daedra" as a replacement for "gods". The daedra, besides Vaermina of course, quite favored her. A girl who could piss off so many gods and goddesses just by _existing_? Definitely their kind of human.

"Halt!" The captain screamed. _"Like that'll do anything." _Ralof thought. _"Man's an idiot, from what I know of him." _Sure enough, Lokir kept running like a madman. At this point, he probably could be considered as one.

"ARCHERS!" Was the captain's next cry. Immediately, an arrow streaked across the path and found its mark. Lokir fell to the ground, dead. Ensis's aquamarine eyes widened, but she did nothing. The man was going to die anyways. He just chose do die a fool.

"Anyone _else_ feel like running?" The captain asked, challenge clear in her tone. No reply.

Hadvar, at this moment, looked up from his list too see Ensis. He blinked in shock, then frowned. _"Now what is a girl like _her_," _he thought, _"doing in a place like this?" _

"You there." He shouted to her. Ensis looked right at him, and he frowned. "Who," he asked, "are you?"

"What name to use?"

She wondered. She had used eleven in her lifetime. Sometimes, Ensis forgot that her name _was _Ensis. _"It's been 82 years." _She figured. _"Why not use my _name_?" _

"Ensis. Ensis Regima." She announced confidently, watching as the soldier looked back at his list, then looked up at her sadly.

"You picked a bad time to come to Skyrim, Imperial." He muttered sympathetically, then turned to the captain. "Captain, what should we do? She's not on the list."

The captain glared at Ensis with cold, unforgiving. She _hated _Stormcloaks. They'd killed her family, after all. She swore revenge, and now she might let a possible soldier walk away because of a stupid list? For all she knew, this...eerily beautiful girl could be the very soldier that murdered her parents.

"Forget the list, she goes to the block." The captain finally shouted, and Ensis felt anger welling up inside of her. Hadvar sighed sadly.

"By your orders, Captain." He muttered, turning to Ensis. "I'm sorry. We'll make sure to return your remains to Cyrodiil."

The Imperial nodded and flashed a sad smile at Hadvar as as she took her place by the block. _"He's trying to return me to my home," _she thought, _"but I'm not yet sure where that is." _

As soon as Ensis took her place, the execution began.

"Ulfric Stormcloak." General Tullius stepped forward, scowling at said man. "So I'm hearing Helgen call you a 'hero'. But a _hero _doesn't use a power like the voice to murder his king and usurp his throne."

Ensis frowned. _"Murder his king? Usurp his throne? And what is the _'voice'_?" _

"_You _started this war! Plunged Skyrim into chaos! And now the Empire is going to put you down and restore the peace!" Tullius shouted angrily. Nobody was sure if the General was expecting applause for his little speech, but he got some form of it.

Far off in the distance, a soft roaring sound, like a chorus of distant bears, burst through the morning sky. The Captain, along with each other onlooker, looked skyward. "What was that?" She asked nervously, turning to her General.

For a moment, Tullius looked troubled, but quickly shook it off. "It's nothing. Carry on." After all, they couldn't afford to put off the execution of one of the most dangerous men in Skyrim for nothing but a stupid sound.

"Yes, General Tullius!" The Captain responded, then turned to a priestess that was currently standing next to the headsman's block. "Give them their last rights." She commanded, and it was all Ensis could do not to groan.

"Great,"

she thought, _"now we're getting to listen to some idiot woman flap her jaws as if she _really _knows the gods. Ha. I just might die of _boredom _before I even reach the block." _

To the annoyance of Ensis, the preistess raised her arms and began. "As we command your souls to Athereus, blessings of the eight divines-"

"For the love of Talos, shut up and let's get this over with!" A Stormcloak interrupted, shoving his way to the block. Ensis smiled, nearly laughing despite herself, then realized what the priestess had said. _"Eight divines? But there's nine..." _She thought.

"As...as you wish." The priestess agreed testily, stepping away as the Stormcloak was pushed towards the headsman. "C'mon, I haven't got all morning!" He shouted as he was shoved down onto the block.

The headsman raised his ax high in the air. "My ancestors are smiling at me, Imperials. Can you say the same?" The Stormcloak. He never got an answer. He wasn't expecting one.

Thunk!

The ax sliced neatly through his neck and slammed into the stone below, and the Stormcloak's head rolled over into the basket below.

"You Imperial bastards!"

"JUSTICE!"

"Death to the Stormcloaks!"

"As fearless as life as he was in death."

The Captain quickly decided to cut off the small comments before they turned into a fight. Funny how fast things like that could happen. "The Imperial girl next!" She called, and Ensis gulped.

Another roar pierced the air, this time much louder. Closer. Whatever it was, it was big. And it was fast. "There it is again." Hadvar remarked, recieving a sharp look from his Captain. "I _said_, next prisoner!" She ordered in a _"you'd-better-do-what-I-say-or-you're-next-on-the- block" _tone.

Hadvar sighed and turned to Ensis. "To the block, prisoner, nice and easy." He instructed.

Slowly, Ensis made her way up towards the glaring Captain, the sympathetic Hadvar, the faceless executioner. She felt rough hands shoving her to the ground, a boot slamming her head into the block. Her head hovered over the Stormcloak's severed one, and she wrinkled her nose. It reeked of death.

As the headsman raised his ax, Ensis took a deep, shaky breath. She'd often wondered, where would she go after death? Not Sovngarde, not any form of heaven. Most likely, Vaermina would take her, keep her in a realm of nightmares for eternity. She could barely stand to sleep an hour, much less...forever.

The ax rose higher, higher...suddenly, a hug shadow passed overhead, blocking out the sun. The crowd erupted into gasps of shock and terror. Ensis's eyes desperately tried to find the source, but it was no use. She couldn't see anything unless she lifted her head, which would surely end badly.

"What in Oblivion is _that_?!" Came a cry.

"Sentry, what do you see?" A voice, the Captain's, replied.

Ensis's eyes were locked on the headsman as he let the ax fall. And then, everything fell apart. A huge _boom _thundered across Helgen, and the man that had been about to kill Ensis just moments before was crumpled on the ground.

A ground-shaking, ear-splitting roar screamed in her ears, and she catapulted up off the block. The Imperial lifted her head to get a glimpse of the creature...and froze.

Perched atop a tower was the most terrifying beast Ensis had ever laid eyes upon, and she'd seen plenty of terrifying beasts in her lifetime.

It was huge, as large as a mammoth, maybe larger. Its features were reptilian, but with two enormous wings sprouting from its back and two twisting horns sitting atop its head. The entire creature was as black as a starless midnight, save its glowing red eyes. Fangs, long as daggers, protruded from the beast's jaw, gleaming bright against its dark body.

There was only one word to describe such a creature, but it couldn't be true...

"DRAGON!" A voice screamed, and Ensis's heart sank. This just _had _to be a nightmare.

**A/N: So...how was it? I had fun writing, hope you have fun reading! And just in case there's any confusion, no there won't be any Ulfric/Ensis romance in this story. Companions will probably come in in the 4th chapter, I'm thinking this will be pretty long story. So far, I'm having fun with this, so I'd _really _appreciate reviews telling me if you like it or not! Oh, and speaking of reviews, 8 reviews on the first chapter? THANKS SO MUCH! You guys are so awesome :) Anyways, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


	3. Enter the Dragon

**A/N: OLAF! It's me, IFYOUCOULDFLY! So again, thanks _so much! _14 reviews for 2 chapters...that's just awesome you guys! But I _DO _have to address something a lot of you (meaning 2 people, but that's basically the same thing. Sorta. Not really. Whatever.) have been talking about.**

**Some of you are thinking that what's happened to her is a _good _thing. I guess I didn't write it clearly enough, or haven't gotten to it yet, but what Dibella, Mara and Vaermina did to her is _definitely _a curse.**

**Because of the appearance Dibella gave her, Ensis isn't taken seriously. People view her as just a pretty face, nothing more. In addition, she's forced to go around breaking hearts everywhere she goes.**

**With Mara's living-forever (until finding true love and blah blah blah) curse, she's forced to live on as all of her friends and family move on and die. She can't keep the few friends she makes, because she has to move constantly to keep her secrets from being discovered.**

**It is nearly impossible to end the combination of curses with the one cure: finding true love, because Dibella's curse makes sure that few men on this planet would be able to love her for who she is, and not her looks.**

**So that's the end of my little rantish thing. I imagine you probably are sick of this now, so go ahead and read on :)**

"DRAGON!" A voice screamed, and Ensis's heart sank. This _had _to be a nightmare.

"There is no other explanation!"

She thought, panting. _"Dragons aren't real, and if they were, they died of years ago! "_

The beast, from atop the tower, let out a great roar, flames twirling out into the air.

As soon as Ensis felt the heat radiating off the burnt housetops, she knew that it wasn't a dream. No dream had ever been this..._real_.

"Hey! Over here!" A voice called out, and she whirled around to an image of chaos.

The..._dragon_, had lifted up into the sky and was circling overhead, spitting fire from his jaws at anything that wasn't already burning. Most of the houses in sight had already been reduced to half-standing clusters of blackened lumber. Everyone in Helgen seemed to be outside, screaming and running in panic.

Finally, her eyes met the person she'd been looking for: Ralof.

Ensis stumbled over to him, heart thumping. "Follow me!" He cried, and she quickly obeyed.

They sprinted through the wreckage, dodging fire and crumbling buildings as we went. "Not exactly how I planned to spend my Fridas." Ralof called over his shoulder, and Ensis laughed despite the situation.

Ralof smiled as she did. She _was _pretty when she smiled...he shook his head, almost laughing at himself. _"You're being attacked by a _dragon_, and you're letting a pretty face distract you? You've lost it, Ralof, you've lost it."_

Finally, the pair reached a stone tower and dashed inside. Waiting there were a group of injured Stormcloak soldiers and Ulfric himself.

For a moment, everyone stood quietly, listening to the chaotic sounds outside and catching their breath. Eventually, Ralof's voice broke the silence.

"What...what _is _that thing?!" The Stormcloak asked, staring at Ulfric. "Could the legends be true?"

All eyes in the room were locked on Ulfric's expressionless face. After a moment, he spoke. "Legends don't burn down villages." The Jarl uttered bluntly, finalizing a conversation that had barely started.

Ralof nodded, then turned to Ensis. "We should hurry and get out of here." He said, and the Imperial nodded her agreement.

She turned and rushed up the spiraling staircase, wondering how in Oblivion she got to this point. _"So much for this. What a _wonderful _welcome to Skyrim. First, I'm nearly executed, now I might die anyways thanks to this-"_

Suddenly, the wall just to the right of her...exploded. In a huge crash, a flurry of stone and smoke flew in front of Ensis, just a few inches from crushing her.

Ensis screamed and stumbled backwards, nearly knocking over Ralof and Ulfric. A boiling stream of fire shot out from the wall, right where Ensis had been just seconds before. From the angle she was at, she could just barely catch a glimpse of the scaly monster before it lifted off into the sky.

"Quick!" Ralof screamed, his voice just barely audible over the sound of the screams and destruction outside. "Jump!"

Ensis gave him an "_are-you-out-of-your-mind?!" _look, and Ralof rolled his eyes. "Fine then!" He shouted, charging up to her.

"Wait, what are you-!" Ensis screamed, but she never got to finish. Ralof slammed into her, pushing her out the open gap in the wall.

Ensis shrieked as she tumbled through the air towards a half-burnt shack below. Her arms flailed around, trying to find a point where she could balance. Finally, she struck the wooden floor, and her legs crumpled. She slipped and stuck her arms out in panic, leaving a long gash running along her arm.

"That'll leave a mark...oh wait, it won't."

She thought sarcastically as she stumbled to her feet, wincing. Dibella's stupid curse forbade scars. Sure, the cut would be painful, and would leave a mark as long as it _could _be painful, but once it healed it would disappear.

Ensis finally caught her balance and started to run again, cursing that stupid Ralof as she went. She wove through the burnt wreckage until Helgen burst into view. Ensis caught her breath again as the scene unfolded before her.

"They're just dying. Right before my eyes, they're dying."

She thought as husband and wife, mother and son, brother and sister fell left and right. A loud crash behind her shook her from her thoughts, and she began to sprint into the chaos.

Ensis wove her way through the crowd, looking around for an exit, but each possibility was blocked off. She was beginning to panic. _"There's no way out." _She thought desperately, whipping her head around.

Streams of screaming people cluttered her vision. Flashes of light, _fire_, erupted from all around her, and ash rained down like blackened snow. Shadows would pass overhead every few seconds, and the throngs of people would duck. Roars shattered the skies above, causing the children below to screech.

Things were starting to blur together. Ensis's breaths grew quicker, sharper. Her heart was drumming against her chest, echoing in her ears. _"Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide." _She thought. _"You're going to die. You're going to die. You're going to-." _

"HEY! ENSIS!" A voice screamed, breaking through the terror. Ensis spun to see a bulky man, waving his arms like an idiot. "Hadvar!" She called back, rushing towards him. About halfway there, she stopped.

"Wait a minute, you were just about to _kill _me!" She shouted accusingly, glaring as she stepped towards him slowly.

"Um...yeah...sorry." Hadvar stammered, and Ensis shrugged. "Well, we're probably about to die anways, so no harm done. What now?"

Hadvar smiled. "Follow me." With that, he spun around and began to sprint away, Ensis close on his heels.

As the seconds flew by, Ensis began to tire. She hadn't run this hard in...well, in twelve years. "Damnit, Hadvar," she muttered under her breath as she ran, "how can somebody be so huge run so _fast_?!"

Finally, the pair reached a door, which Hadvar flung open, nearly breaking in the hinges. Ensis rushed in after him, panting heavily as the door was shut.

The two stood there for a moment, letting the sounds of heavy breathing fill the room. "Well," Ensis finally breathed, "that was terrifying."

Hadvar let out a short, sharp laugh. "It's not over yet. Here, let me get those handcuffs." The soldier manifested a key from somewhere in his armor and fumbled with the lock. Finally, the cuffs broke free and clattered to the ground.

Ensis sighed in relief and shook out her hands. "Thanks, Hadvar." She said, smiling. He smiled back, nodding.

"Oh, um, you might want to...change into some armor. There's some in that chest over there." Hadvar, blushing slightly. Ensis rolled her eyes. "Right then. Just turn around a sec."

With that, she walked over to the nearby chests and began to rifle through them. She found a decent set of leather armor, an iron sword, and a pair of hide boots. Once she had changed, she walked up to Hadvar and tapped him on the shoulder.

"What now?" She asked.

"Well," Hadvar began, "we're going to have to make our way through the keep. There'll probably be Stormcloaks ahead, and I doubt they'll be to pleased to see us. Can you fight?"

Ensis shrugged. "Yes, but I'm really out of practice." The soldier grinned. "Taken a year of, eh? I understand." _"Try ten." _She thought, but nodded all the same.

"Well, you never really forget once you learn. You'll get back into it soon, I'm sure."

Easier said than done. The next hour was a struggle for her, and she barely downed two Stormcloaks.

As they neared the exit, an ambush nearly took her out.

"I'm not usually this awful, I swear." Ensis apologized, wincing at the image of the blood-stained Stormcloak soldier, just inches from assassinating her. Hadvar shrugged, smiling. "It's alright," he offered, but she just shook her head. "No, no it's not. I'd have been dead if you weren't here."

Hadvar just stared at her. "Good thing I'm here, then." Ensis laughed.

"Let's hurry up, before that damned dragon destroys our last way out." She said, and they ran off through the tunnel.

A few minutes later, the duo burst into the Skyrim wilderness.

"Oh, thank Azura." Ensis whispered to herself as the sunlight hit her face. She looked over at Hadvar, who was breathing heavily and grinning crazily. "We're alive!" He announced, grinning. "Didn't expect _this _outcome, really." Ensis agreed.

Just then, another ferocious roar sounded across the sky. "Oh, shit." The pair muttered, staring up at the sky.

"Quickly, over here!" Hadvar whispered, pulling her behind a boulder just as the dragon glided into view.

It circled around the sky for a moment, let out another blood-chilling call, and flew off.

Seconds ticked by, turning into minutes, and then...

"It's gone." Hadvar concluded, and Ensis let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"It'd better be." The Imperial muttered, dusting herself off as she climbed to her feet. "I'm getting really tired of that thing."

Hadvar got up after her, shaking his head. "What in Oblivion just _happened_?" He asked, and Ensis shrugged. "I have no idea, but I'm pretty sure if we both saw it, it's probably not some insane hallucination."

Hadvar nodded. "You know, with some training, the Imperials could really use somebody like you."

Ensis studied Hadvar's face for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm honored, Hadvar, but I don't think I'm ready to join up in a war right now. Sorry. For now, I just need to find the nearest inn."

Hadvar shrugged, smiling sadly. "That's okay, I understand. You'll want to try the Bannered Mare, in Whiterun. It's just north of here."

"Thanks for everything, Hadvar." Ensis said, turning to leave.

"I hope to see you again soon." Hadvar called back, and Ensis turned around.

"Me too, Hadvar."

With that, she was off, sprinting down the path as fast as her weary legs could take her.

* * *

Ensis stood before three stones, staring at them curiously.

She'd heard of them, of course, during her studies in the Summerset Isles. The three basic signs: The Thief, The Mage, and The Warrior were something she'd read about often, and it fascinated her. Ensis had always wanted to be able to choose her stone, and now she could.

Of course, she had already planned which one she would choose. The Thief Stone. If there was anything Ensis Regima was really _good _at, it was sneaking. Thieving. Keeping secrets.

She loved magic and combat as well, but the role of a sneak thief fit her much better than a mage or a warrior.

So Ensis stepped forward, watching as the stone began to glow softly. With each step, the light brightened and grew.

Soft blue streams of light slowly reached out from the center of the stone, reaching towards her like outstrechted arms. But when they reached her...all she felt was cold.

Ensis shuddered and stepped away, the glow dying as she did.

"Why did that feel so...wrong?"

She thought. She _liked _stepping silently through the woods at night, bringing down elk with her bow. She _liked _the thrill of creeping around with nobody to see. She wanted to be a thief...didn't she?

Without even knowing what she was doing, Ensis started walking. It was like her legs had been separated from her brain as she made her way to the stone before her.

It was the same glow, the same arms reaching out, but this time she felt warm all over. It felt _wonderful_.

A moment passed, then another, and the heat faded. Ensis was left in the cold of Skyrim.

"Why," she whispered to herself, "the Warrior?"

* * *

Ensis collapsed onto the bed, letting herself sink into the warmth of the bed.

She knew sleep would be anything but pleasant. Each night for her was filled with terror, she knew it. Sometimes it would be monsters, others...worse. She _hated _sleep.

But she was so tired. Ensis couldn't _remember _a time she'd been this tired. Her eyelids were heavy, as if they were laden with bricks.

She could just let them droop, just drift away...

* * *

_Ensis looked around._

_She was in a dark forest of some sort, everything simply black, some things tinted with a purple._

_"Where am I?" She thought, turning around in a circle. The trees were bleak and dead, seemingly creeping towards her each time she turned away._

_Suddenly, a shrill screech erupted from the blackness, then a cackle. More screams followed from all around her, each one sending chills down her spine and making her heart pound._

_Ensis's breaths grew quick and sharp, distressed._

_A scream sounded from directly behind._

_This scream, the most horrible sound she'd ever heard, shattered what little confidence she had left._

_Ensis began to run, run as fast as she could down a narrow path between the trees._

_All around her, the screams came closer, shriller, more and more terrified._

_Her heart was pounding in her ears, nearly leaping out of her chest._

_"No, no, no, no, no." She whispered to herself as she ran, twisting along with the path, feeling danger approach with every step she took._

_Suddenly, she stopped._

_Ensis was lost._

_She wanted to cry out, to escape, to be anywhere but there._

_Suddenly, a bony hand, cold as death, gripped her arm._

_Ensis shrieked and spun around to see a pale, sunken-in face with crooked, yellowing teeth and a sharp nose. It looked exactly like one of the Glenmoril Witches, or a hagraven._

_"Yes, child," the woman croaked wickedly. "I am a Witch of Glenmoril."_

_Ensis, resisting the urge to scream, stammered, "W-where am-m I?"_

_The witch cackled, her grip on my arm tightening. "This is where your soul shall rest after death, Regima. This is the realm of Vaermina. Here, the nightmares will never leave. Here, you'll wish you could die again."_

_With that, the Glenmoril Witch lunged at me, and the world went black._

**A/N: OMIGOSH I AM SOOOO SORRY I DON'T EVEN KNOW I JUST AISJFHAWEIOFUIASDJFHA. So first my computer broke (it's still not fixed, I'm on a borrowed one), then I went on vacation, then I just got really really busy with everyday life and I had 0 time to write. I hope this a-little-too-long chappie made up for it! I'm sorry (but super grateful for you guys)! Anyways, keep reading/reviewing/being awesome!-FLY**


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